Like schoolboys from their books

Work is over! I am now off for a week and a half, back for three days, and then off again for a week. By which point September will be 2/3 over and term fast approaching, which is rather scary but I am not thinking about that just now.

To start with, a four-day weekend. I have moules frites for dinner. I have made the sensible decision not to go to Ikea tomorrow - it's not like I shall be at home to enjoy the benefits anyway. London on Sunday (probably via bus to avoid the people returning from the Reading Festival - one train journey enlivened by the distinctive tang was enough) for a wedding celebration. Then off to Austria next week for some Alpine walking in the company of azdak. It looks like the temperature is dropping a bit - no bad thing, because hiking in 35 degrees C is hard work and the mid-twenties will do me nicely.

Temperatures are dropping in Sicily, too, which is the next stop. I'll be grateful for 35 *C there as opposed to 40*. The summit of Etna is closed at the moment due to volcanic activity, with access limited to c. 2900m. I can live with that... Fingers crossed for a "paroxysm" while I'm there. Meanwhile Stromboli is enjoying an excitingly active phase within normal parameters. Not to mention food, wine, sun, sea, and solfataras.

In short, September looks like it's going to be an enjoyable, if busy, month. Oh, and I've got a friend visiting for the last weekend.